Spending your days in front of the television may contribute to a shortened lifespan, a new study suggests. Researchers in Australia found that people who averaged six hours a day of TV lived, on average, nearly five years less than people who watched no TV.
For every hour of television watched after age 25, lifespan fell by 22 minutes, according to the research led by Dr. J. Lennert Veerman of the University of Queensland. But other experts cautioned that the study did not show that TV watching caused people to die sooner, only that there was an association between watching lots of TV and a shorter lifespan. Though a direct link between watching TV and a shortened lifespan is highly provocative, the harms of TV are almost certainly indirect, said Dr. David L. Katz, director of the Prevention Research Center at Yale University School of Medicine.
"As a rule, the more time we spend watching TV, the more time we spend eating mindlessly in front of the TV, and the less time we spend being physically active," Katz said. "More eating and less physical activity, in turn, mean greater risk for obesity, and the chronic diseases it tends to anticipate, notably diabetes, heart disease and cancer."
Another explanation for the possible link may be that people who watch excessive amounts of TV "are lonely, or isolated, or depressed, and these conditions, in turn, may be the real causes of premature mortality," he added. The report was published in the Aug 15 online edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
In the study, researchers used data on 11,000 people aged 25 and older from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study, which included survey information about how much TV people watched in a week. Researchers also used national population and mortality figures.
In 2008, Australian adults watched a total of 9.8 billion hours of TV. People who watched more than six hours of TV were in the top 1 percent for TV viewing.
The statistics suggest that too much TV may be as dangerous as smoking and lack of exercise in reducing life expectancy, the researchers said. For example, smoking can shorten of life expectancy by more than four years after the age of 50. That represents 11 minutes of life lost for every cigarette and that's the same as half an hour of TV watching, the researchers said. Without TV, researchers estimated life expectancy for men would be 1.8 years longer and for women, 1.5 years longer.
"While we used Australian data, the effects in other industrialized and developing countries are likely to be comparable, given the typically large amounts of time spent watching TV and similarities in disease patterns," the researchers noted. Dr. Gregg Fonarow, associate chief of cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, said that "there is increasing evidence that the amount of time spent in sedentary activity such at TV watching, distinct from the amount of time spent in purposeful exercise, may adversely impact health." And although participating in a regular exercise program can help, it may not be enough to offset the risks of spending too much of the rest of the day — while at work or at home — getting no exercise whatsoever.
"Staying active and reducing time spent sedentary may be of benefit in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and may be considered as part of a comprehensive approach to improve cardiovascular health," Fonarow added.
Dr. Robert J. Myerburg, a professor of medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, added that "a sedentary lifestyle can reduce life expectancy." Myerburg isn't sure why sitting around is not good for your health. "It's better to look at it from a positive prospective," he said. "That is: a physically active lifestyle is protective."
SOURCE : EVERYDAY HEALTH
Thursday, June 23, 2016
KIDNEY STONES :PREVENTION FAR BETTER THAN CURE
I recently stumbled upon an article of how a 25 year lady suffered from kidney stone for a long time without knowing she had kidney stone until it got really critical.
Only if she had information on the symptoms of this disease. So I went straight to my best friend which is the internet to check up for an article that will best explain this deadly disease.
This is courtesy "EVERYDAY HEALTH" :
What Are Kidney Stones?
There are several different types of kidney stones, but each of them can cause a lot of pain. Kidney stones are small chunks of solid material that can form in your kidneys, a pair of organs that filter your blood.
The "stones," which are usually yellow and brown, vary in size and shape.
For instance, some may be jagged and as small as a grain of sand, while others may be lumpy and the size of golf balls. A stone may stay in the kidney or travel down the urinary tract — the body's waste and excess-water drainage system — and get stuck, causing severe pain in the belly or side of the back. Other symptoms may include nausea, chills, and blood in the urine.
Prevalence and Demographics of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract, resulting in more than a million visits to health care providers and 300,000 emergency room visits each year in the United States, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
About one in 11 people in the United States, or 8.8 percent of the population, have had a kidney stone, according to a 2012 report in the journal European Urology.
Kidney stones affect both men and women, though struvite stones are more common in women and uric acid stones are more common in men. Overall, however, the prevalence of kidney stones is higher in men than women. Kidney stones are also more common in obese people than non-obese people, and less common in non- Hispanic African and Mexican-Americans than in non- Hispanic Caucasians, according to the European Urology study.
What Are the Kidneys?
Part of the urinary system, your two kidneys are fist- sized, bean-shaped organs, located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine.
They have a number of important functions, mainly filtering the blood to remove waste and excess water, resulting in the formation of urine, which is stored in the bladder and emptied from the body through the urethra.
The kidneys also:
-Balance the body's levels of electrolytes,
including sodium, potassium, and phosphate,
to maintain the body's balance of acids and
bases
-Produce hormones involved in regulating
blood pressure, producing red blood cells,
and maintaining bone strength
-Prevent the buildup of waste and fluid in the body
Development of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones develop when the concentration of normal kidney substances (especially calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus) increases substantially. This process — sometimes known as nephrolithiasis — can be due to various factors, including low fluid intake, diet, or medications such as diuretics and calcium-based antacids.
A number of issues can increase a person's risk of developing kidney stones, including:
-A family history of kidney stones
-Medical conditions that affect the levels of urinary substances
-Urinary tract blockage
-Digestive problems Recurrent urinary tract. infections
Types of Kidney Stones
There are four main types of kidney stones: calcium, uric acid, struvite, and cystine stones. Calcium stones, of which there are two forms — calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate — are the most common type of kidney stone.
In most cases, calcium oxalate stones form from high levels of calcium and oxalate in urine. But if there are high levels of urine calcium and the urine is alkaline (has a high pH), calcium phosphate stones may form instead. Uric acid stones develop from overly acidic (low pH) urine.
This can result from a diet high in purines, substances that are broken down to form uric acid and are found in high concentrations in animal protein. Struvite stones, sometimes called infection stones, are made of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate, and typically form in alkaline urine.
They develop from upper urinary tract infections, including kidney infections, when bacteria produce urease, an enzyme that helps convert urea (a compound in urine) into ammonia and other products. Cystine stones result from a genetic disorder that causes cystine, an amino acid, to leak into the urine from the kidneys.
Only if she had information on the symptoms of this disease. So I went straight to my best friend which is the internet to check up for an article that will best explain this deadly disease.
This is courtesy "EVERYDAY HEALTH" :
What Are Kidney Stones?
There are several different types of kidney stones, but each of them can cause a lot of pain. Kidney stones are small chunks of solid material that can form in your kidneys, a pair of organs that filter your blood.
The "stones," which are usually yellow and brown, vary in size and shape.
For instance, some may be jagged and as small as a grain of sand, while others may be lumpy and the size of golf balls. A stone may stay in the kidney or travel down the urinary tract — the body's waste and excess-water drainage system — and get stuck, causing severe pain in the belly or side of the back. Other symptoms may include nausea, chills, and blood in the urine.
Prevalence and Demographics of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary tract, resulting in more than a million visits to health care providers and 300,000 emergency room visits each year in the United States, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
About one in 11 people in the United States, or 8.8 percent of the population, have had a kidney stone, according to a 2012 report in the journal European Urology.
Kidney stones affect both men and women, though struvite stones are more common in women and uric acid stones are more common in men. Overall, however, the prevalence of kidney stones is higher in men than women. Kidney stones are also more common in obese people than non-obese people, and less common in non- Hispanic African and Mexican-Americans than in non- Hispanic Caucasians, according to the European Urology study.
What Are the Kidneys?
Part of the urinary system, your two kidneys are fist- sized, bean-shaped organs, located just below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine.
They have a number of important functions, mainly filtering the blood to remove waste and excess water, resulting in the formation of urine, which is stored in the bladder and emptied from the body through the urethra.
The kidneys also:
-Balance the body's levels of electrolytes,
including sodium, potassium, and phosphate,
to maintain the body's balance of acids and
bases
-Produce hormones involved in regulating
blood pressure, producing red blood cells,
and maintaining bone strength
-Prevent the buildup of waste and fluid in the body
Development of Kidney Stones
Kidney stones develop when the concentration of normal kidney substances (especially calcium, oxalate, and phosphorus) increases substantially. This process — sometimes known as nephrolithiasis — can be due to various factors, including low fluid intake, diet, or medications such as diuretics and calcium-based antacids.
A number of issues can increase a person's risk of developing kidney stones, including:
-A family history of kidney stones
-Medical conditions that affect the levels of urinary substances
-Urinary tract blockage
-Digestive problems Recurrent urinary tract. infections
Types of Kidney Stones
There are four main types of kidney stones: calcium, uric acid, struvite, and cystine stones. Calcium stones, of which there are two forms — calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate — are the most common type of kidney stone.
In most cases, calcium oxalate stones form from high levels of calcium and oxalate in urine. But if there are high levels of urine calcium and the urine is alkaline (has a high pH), calcium phosphate stones may form instead. Uric acid stones develop from overly acidic (low pH) urine.
This can result from a diet high in purines, substances that are broken down to form uric acid and are found in high concentrations in animal protein. Struvite stones, sometimes called infection stones, are made of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate, and typically form in alkaline urine.
They develop from upper urinary tract infections, including kidney infections, when bacteria produce urease, an enzyme that helps convert urea (a compound in urine) into ammonia and other products. Cystine stones result from a genetic disorder that causes cystine, an amino acid, to leak into the urine from the kidneys.
BEYOND KSU : Ministry Of Education Convenes Meeting To Workout Modalities For Admission Screening
The Federal Ministry of Education will be convening a meeting which will have Vice-chancellors, admission officers and other stakeholders in attendance to discuss processes for the post- Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, who equally stated that the meeting would hold next week.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the minister of education Mallam Admu Adamu has made pronouncement concerning the conduct of Post-UTME which should be complied with.
However, she stated that responsibility is now on the ministry to give institutions guidelines and modalities on how to go about what the honourable minister has said; hence the need for a meeting of all stake holders to work out modalities.
This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, who equally stated that the meeting would hold next week.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the minister of education Mallam Admu Adamu has made pronouncement concerning the conduct of Post-UTME which should be complied with.
However, she stated that responsibility is now on the ministry to give institutions guidelines and modalities on how to go about what the honourable minister has said; hence the need for a meeting of all stake holders to work out modalities.
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